I’m not into celebrities and fandom, but I must admit to being in awe of Cory Doctorow. His novels are deeply thought-provoking, he surfaces important stuff through BoingBoing and his Twitter feed, and (perhaps most importantly) inspires me to keep on fighting the good fight for free and open source technologies.

We need more people like Audrey Watters in the world. Indefatigable and unwavering in her critique of the excesses of edtech, she’s a beacon of light and source of strength for many in the community.

3. @leashlessBeyond good taste and evil. Global resilience guru. What do you do after it all goes wrong? And what about the poor, for whom it’s never yet been right?

My brain almost melts every time I get the chance to talk to Vinay Gupta or read his blog. He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met and gets me thinking about stuff I’d never even considered before.

I’ve known Josie Fraser for around 10 years through shared interests in educational technology and digital literacies. She’s currently Digital Strategy Lead at Leicester City Council but has been involved in so much important work across Europe.

Saying that Oliver Quinlan is one of the most reliable and dependable people in my network might sound like I’m damning him with faint praise but, given the level at which he works (Oliver is a multi-talented and award-winning, teacher, researcher, author, and thinker), it’s one of the highest recommendations I can give. His gentle and quiet facade hides a razor-sharp and questioning mind.